THIS STORY IS STRAIGHT AHEAD. AND FIRST, BOTH THE DIA AND CITY OF DETROIT PUT ON NOTICE, SUBURBAN MILAGE MONEY WILL NOT FLOW INTO THE MUSEUM IF ART WORK IS SOLD TO SATISFY CREDITORS. OAKLAND COUNTY PUTS IT IN WRITING. $9 MILLION THE COUNTY SENDS TO DIA WILL BE CUTOFF IF USED TO PAY DOWN THE DETROIT DEBT. YOU KNOW YOU CAN EXPECT MACOMB AND WAYNE COUNTIES TO FILE SUIT. MARA MACDONALD IS LIVE AT THE MUSEUM TONIGHT. AND MARA, WE KNOW THE MONIES WILL NOT BE COMING IF ANY ART WORK IS SOLD OFF EITHER. THAT'S FOR SURE. AND YOU KNOW, LONG BEEN RUMORED AND DISCUSSED PRIVATELY. NOW IT GOES PUBLIC. THIS IS IT IN WRITING. OAKLAND COUNTY PUTTING THE DIA AND THE CITY ON NOTICE. SUBURBAN MONIES WILL NOT PAY OFF THE CITY'S DEBT. THE COLLECTION SITTING ALONG WOODWARD IS WORLD CLASS. EMERGENCY MANAGER HAS CHRISTIE'S EVALUATING WHAT IS HERE. WILL A VAN GOGH SELF PORTRAIT BE SOLD? OR OTHER PIECES? NO ONE WANTS IT TO HAPPEN AND TONIGHT OAKLAND COUNTY MAKES IT CLEAR, SELL ANYTHING, AND THE $9 MILLION YOU GET FROM US ANNUALLY IS FORFEIT. TO SUDDENLY SAY, BY THE WAY, WE CHANGED OUR MIND. AND ARE GOING TO SPEND A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND JUST BAILING OUT THE CITY. WOULD BE A BREAK IN FAITH WITH THE WORDING OF THE RESOLUTION, WITH THE WORDING OF THE STATE LAW, AND WITH THE INTENT OF ALL THE VOTERS. OAKLAND COUNTY'S ART AUTHORITY HAS BEEN UPFRONT WITH MUSEUM. DIA KNEW IT WAS COMING. BUT WHAT IF CHRISTIE'S HAS A DEAL THAT DOESN'T SELL ART OUT RIGHT AND LOANS IT OUT TO OTHER MAJOR INSTITUTIONS WILLING TO PAY? IF ANY MONEY IS TAKEN FROM THE FUNDS WE ARE GIVING AND NOT APPLIED TO THE MUSEUM. OR IF ANY MAJOR PART, PIECE OF ART IS SOLD, IS LENT, IS BARTERED OR TRADED, IT VIOLATES THE AGREEMENT. THEREFORE, THE FUNDS WILL NOT GO TO THE CITY OF DETROIT. IN OTHER WORDS, NO DEAL. AND FROM OAKLAND COUNTY'S PERSPECTIVE THE ART SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO SALE. LEGACY THAT HAS TO BE CARRIED ON FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. IT IS NOT THAT YOU CAN SELL IT THIS YEAR AND REPLACE IT NEXT YEAR. SOME OF THESE PAINTINGS ARE HUNDREDS OF YEARS OLD, PRICELESS. BACK HERE LIVE. SO WHAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED ALL OF THIS DRAMA AND WHAT MANY AT THE CITY HALL SAY. WHETHER IT BECAME CLEAR, THAT THE CITY'S DEBTS WERE INSURANTABLE, SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FORESIGHT TO PROTECT THIS COLLECTION AND MAKE IT AN AUTHORITY ON TO ITSELF. LIVE IN MIDTOWN. MARA MACDONALD, LOCAL 4. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MARA. THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIA TELLS US

DETROIT -

Sell off any art or use suburban tax dollars to pay off Detroit's creditors and Oakland County will withhold millage monies from the DIA.

The millage that voters in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne approved last year specifies that those suburban tax dollars go to the operation of the museum and not the city of Detroit.

Now that Emergency Manger Kevyn Orr has asked Christie's to step in and evaluate the collection, Oakland County is putting the city and the institution on notice.

"If any money is taken from the funds we've given or any piece of art is sold, bartered or traded it violates the agreement. No funds are to go to the City of Detroit," said Tom Guastello.

Guastello sits on the Oakland County Art Institute Authority. He believes the collection is not vulnerable to a sale to help satisfy the city's creditors, an opinion shared by Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Still, the museum is considered a Detroit asset and some items could come up for sale, or millage monies diverted.

Privately, DIA Director Graham Beale had been told last week this was coming. Now, Oakland County is putting it on paper.

"Selling off DIA assets is not what voters had in mind when they approved the millage," Guastello said.

What would have prevented the DIA from being considered in the city's valuation of assets is if someone had the foresight to protect the collection by making it an authority unto itself.

Guastello and the rest of the Oakland County Art Authority doesn't want to see the collection cannibalized.

"It's a legacy that needs to be carried on for future generations," he said.

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